What is your favorite soup?

cawood2

Hearty Nine Bean Soup (4-6 servings) (From Golden Boy Nine Bean soup mix - just dried beans, nothing else)
-2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
-1 coarsely chopped onion
-1 clove garlic, finely minced
-1/2 cup sliced celery
-1 cup nine bean soup mix
-4 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
-2 cups water
-1 -28 oz. can diced tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste
-parmesan cheese garnish.

Soak beans in cold water for 12 hours. Drain and rinse before using.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, saute oil, onion, garlic and celery for approximately 5 minutes, until onions and celery are translucent. Add drained beans, tomatoes, chicken stock and water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1.5-2 hrs. Stir periodically. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan before serving.

*** I used 3 cloves of garlic, and added 1/4 cup pearl barley, and 6 slices of chopped smoked uncured ham. I found that it made about 8 servings for me (i'd have it with salad or some whole grain bread) and worked out to the following nutritional info (based on the recipe calculator) Cal: 154, Carbs: 22 g, Sodium 828 mg, Protein 16 g, Fat: 1 g, Fibre: 6 g. I always make it a bit differently. Without the ham, the sodium would be much lower. I modify the recipe depending on what i feel like, and what's in the fridge/freezer, but it's always been really tasty and filling.

cawood2

Oh, I also do a squash soup.. roast a kabocha squash, and bake a chicken breast with a curry rub/seasoning.

Dice up half an onion, some garlic, saute that in a bit of oil or chicken broth. Add the cooked squash, either cut up or scooped out. Add some chicken broth, dice up the chicken and toss that in, heat to boiling and let simmer a while. You could add extra seasoning- curry or salt, pepper, etc. I find it very tasty. Could throw in some veggies if you wanted, or maybe a potato. When i make it, it ends up being quite thick, and is very nice with a torn up pita, or some squirrelly bread (sprouted multigrain bread)

I also put in half a cup of pearl barley (i seem to automatically put barley in all my soups). With one small squash, about a cup of chopped chicken, a cup of diced onion, and full sodium Knorr chicken broth, it came out to 4 servings. Approx 193 cal, 29 g carb, 667 mg sodium, 15 g protein, 2 g fat, and 5 g fibre.